BUBBLY AND GLOOM: Angels manager Mike Scioscia gets a champagne shower in Boston yesterday after his team rallied for three runs in the top of the ninth for an ALDS-sweeping 7-6 win over the Red Sox. Afterward, loser Jonathan Papelbon (inset) watches glumly as the Angels celebrate.EPA, AP

BOSTON — The Hex is dead. The Curse is alive again.

Down to their last strike, the Angels turned the tables on history yesterday at Fenway Park, leaving Red Sox Nation stunned and silent.

When shortstop Eric Aybar, who started the winning two-out, three-run rally in the top of the ninth against Jonathan Papelbon, caught Dustin Pedroia’s pop-up for the final out to send the Angels into the ALCS with a sweeping 7-6 win over the Red Sox, the only sounds that could be heard were the victory shouts coming from the Angels as they raced to celebrate behind the pitcher’s mound.

This marked the Angels’ first postseason series victory over the Red Sox in five tries, and their first postseason sweep, period, as they took the series in three games.

Now they have their sights set on winning the ALCS — starting Friday against the Yankees in The Bronx.

“These guys are beasts over here,” a jubilant Torii Hunter said of the Red Sox, and the possibility of playing the Yankees, “but I tell you right now, the West Coast is the best coast.”

There you have it. It will be up to the Yankees to prove Hunter wrong.

The day started with the Red Sox rubbing it in the face of the Angels by having 1986 last-strike hero Dave Henderson throw out the first pitch.

Vlad Guerrero was the hero on this day with a single to center off Papelbon that drove in the tying and winning runs.

Papelbon gave up all three runs in the ninth. They were the first postseason runs he had ever given up in 18 appearances.

The right-hander mowed through the first two batters with the Red Sox leading, 6-4. He had two strikes on the pesky Aybar, and the 38,704 fans were in celebration mode.

Out in left field, Jason Bay admitted he was thinking: “0-2, two outs, you’re planning on playing tomorrow, then all of a sudden one thing leads to another.”

It sure did. On the Angels bench, Hunter said he was thinking: “You have your doubts. You start thinking, ‘We’ll get the win tomorrow.’ ”

Then Aybar singled up the middle and Chone Figgins walked. Bobby Abreu doubled off the Green Monster to score one run.

Red Sox manager Terry Francona elected to intentionally walk Hunter to load the bases, and Guerrero lined a single to center, scoring Figgins and Abreu.

“I was so happy for Vladdy,” Hunter said. “I never thought they would walk me, plain old Torri T, and put me on base, but I think it was a smart move.”

Guerrero responded to the challenge.

“When they walked Torii,” Guerrero said, “my main focus was to get a good pitch to hit, and thank God it came through.”

Guerrero called it the biggest hit of his career, not just because it ended the Hex of the Red Sox, but because the Angels are carrying the weight of having lost teammate Nick Adenhart, who was killed, along with two friends, by a drunk driver in April.

“In that respect yes, probably the biggest hit because I’m dedicating it to a former teammate,” Guerrero said.

The Red Sox clubhouse was in shock. A half-hour after the game ended, Papelbon made his way out to talk to the media.

After first saying he would forget this loss the moment he walked out the door, he admitted the loss was “on me” and that this defeat will stick with him.

“This will definitely make me work harder for next year,” Papelbon said. “You do it all season long, and you’ve done it time and time again in the postseason previously, but I just wasn’t able to come out ahead this time.”